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You All Forgot That Luke Skywalker Is the GOAT

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You All Forgot That Luke Skywalker Is the GOAT

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You All Forgot That Luke Skywalker Is the GOAT

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Published on May 4, 2023

Screenshot: Lucasfilm
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Luke Skywalker, Return of the Jedi
Screenshot: Lucasfilm

I have this problem—because I’m not a kid anymore, I am expected to admit straight-up that Han Solo is far and away a better character than Luke Skywalker. And… he’s just not. Look, I love the guy: He is a scoundrel and that is sexy and his sarcasm is welcome among the many do-gooders in his universe. But I feel like his slingshot retorts blind people outright to what anyone else is doing in the Star Wars trilogy.

Like the fact that Luke Skywalker spends all of Return of the Jedi being a complete badass and we never talk about it.

And everyone is rolling their eyes because so many people don’t even like Return of the Jedi, but I don’t care, okay? I’m not interested in talking about furry bears versus stormtrooper armor, or even the fact that Han spends a good portion of the movie tied up. (He’s funnier that way anyhow.) I’m interested in addressing Luke’s final sequence of character-defining acts, which are so subtle in their execution that they seem to slide past even the most diehard fans.

We have to start by breaking Han out of Hutt prison, so let’s do some recapping. Luke sends his best droid buddies in to set the stage and put key elements in place. He doesn’t bother letting Threepio in on the secret for obvious reasons, but he strategically lets everyone in there ahead of himself; Lando is already present, then the droids, then Leia and Chewie. They are each there to have a separate shot at freeing Han, though Luke likely knows that Leia is the only one with a real chance. Once she is captured, he swings into action all by his lonesome. Or to put it another way, Luke sets himself up as the last line of offense. When all else fails, he approaches.

And do you remember what his first move is?

Luke Skywalker, Return of the Jedi
Screenshot: Lucasfilm

Obi-Wan Kenobi might have tried to mind trick them into a game of pinochle, but Luke doesn’t have time for that crap. As a definitive first action, a Force-choke is a dark place to take us. It’s a move Vader uses, not Luke’s mentors. Yet it isn’t ascribed any villainous overtones—we’re meant to go along with this in good faith.

He continues by getting his audience with Jabba, one that he had requested by way of the message he sent with Artoo, a request the crime lord ignored. So by barging right in, Luke isn’t just moving their plan forward, he’s being deliberately rude to Jabba. ‘Oh, you won’t bow to my polite desire for a meeting? Fine. I guess you’ll have to take that meeting when I set it.’ His cocky suggestion that Jabba realize what he’s up against falls on deaf ears, but Luke isn’t bothered by it—he’s enjoying the game. (He spends practically the whole conversation smirking like some jerk teenager.) “Wormie” little Luke Skywalker, the farm boy no one ever took seriously, now has the chance to stand toe-to-toe with monsters and criminals and he’s not even breaking a sweat. In fact, he doesn’t show a bit of concern until he falls through a trap door and comes face to face with a rancor. Which he dispatches in short order.

Luke Skywalker, Return of the Jedi
Screenshot: Lucasfilm

“You should have bargained, Jabba,“ he tells the Hutt later. And then as he is dragged off to a dungeon cell, to be held there until his public execution: “That’s the last mistake you’ll ever make.”

Do you recall that glimmer in his eye while he says it? It’s cold, son. Gleefully cold.

Luke Skywalker, Return of the Jedi
Screenshot: Lucasfilm

I should point out that we’re meant to side with Han in all this. Over the course of this opening act he says multiple times that Luke’s lost it, that they’re all gonna die, and we snort at Luke’s assurances that he has it all under control the same way the ex-smuggler does. And he’s not the only one; Jabba’s court laughs aloud in unison as Luke is poised over the mouth of the Sarlaac. So do I really need to say it? Do I need to point out that despite everyone sniggering and telling him he’s nuts, Luke does exactly what he says he’s going to do? Moreover, that he does it in a manner as flash as possible? He could have signaled to Artoo for that lightsaber whenever it was most convenient, but he waits until the crowd is cheering for his imminent demise, uses the plank that would have led to his death as leverage for a flip through midair, then goes to town on his captors.

It’s not just that he carries out the plan—he carries it out with extreme prejudice. He doesn’t merely rescue his friends—he slaughters Jabba’s whole entourage. He slices people open left and right, knocks them into a pit where they will be slowly and painfully devoured, then directs Leia to a gun turret that will blow the sail barge sky high. It doesn’t seem very Jedi-like does it? So why would he do it? Why would he so callously murder all those (admittedly not very nice) people? It’s true that they were complicit in the capture and humiliation of his friends, but there’s more going on here:

“I used to live here, you know.”

Luke Skywalker, Return of the Jedi
Screenshot: Lucasfilm

Let’s give this a good long think. Luke lived on Tatooine, and knowing that, we can also know for certain that Luke grew up with Jabba’s name on his mind. That he grew up knowing better than to cross the path of anyone who worked with or for Jabba, that he heard about what happened to innocent people on his planet who did. Luke knew exactly who Jabba the Hutt was, how he hurt people, how he ruined their lives. He had a chance to eradicate the world of Jabba, and he took his shot. He didn’t want to be nice about it—he wanted to be efficient.

I’m sorry, that sound you hear over in the corner is the prodigal son weeping for not measuring up to Luke Skywalker.

Luke Skywalker, Return of the Jedi
Screenshot: Lucasfilm

Once he’s done with that, he goes back to complete his training only to find his master knocking on death’s door. So at the end of a triumph, he immediately suffers a great loss, only heightened by the knowledge that he’s meant to kill his own father. He takes it in stride and hurries back to his friends, volunteers for a dearly important mission to the Alliance.

As soon as they turn up on Endor they run into trouble, but he darts after Leia and hops on the back of her speederbike without hesitation. Kid’s reflexes have stepped up a notch, along with his technical know-how; he has no problem directing her toward the most painless manner of dispatching highspeed Scout Troopers. Then Leia goes missing, and on the search for her, he and the gang find themselves captured by tiny bears who seem to think that Threepio is worshipful. Han wants him to use that status as a Get Out of Jail Free card, but Threepio has programming that prevents it. At the point at which Han is losing his temper over this setback, Luke is on the brink of laughing his ass off. It might be one of my favorite things he ever does.

Luke Skywalker, Return of the Jedi
Screenshot: Lucasfilm
Luke Skywalker, Return of the Jedi
Screenshot: Lucasfilm

You little punk.

They get tied up and hauled off to Ewok Camp, and while Han is busy trying to blow out the roasting torches with his lungs, Luke is forming a plan. All of Solo’s placations and Leia’s diplomacy are useless, but Luke commands his golden pal to threaten the furry guys with magic. It’s not nice, but again, it gets the job done. At this point in time, Luke should be teasing the crew about having to get everything done all by his onesies, but there’s that niggling Vader problem. So after a brief goodbye to his sister, he walks directly into the arms of one of the most evil and powerful beings in the universe with nothing but a “Come away with me, I’m incorruptible,” on his lips.

The nerve of this guy.

Luke Skywalker, Return of the Jedi
Screenshot: Lucasfilm

And yes, Luke is a little surprised that Vader doesn’t immediately turn over a new leaf once he blinks those baby blues, but he takes a deep breath and keeps his chin high when he’s introduced to the Emperor of the galaxy, the one directly responsible for his lack of childhood family memories. I would like to point out that none of these things were penciled into Luke Skywalker’s weekly planner. He’s just winging it.

He keeps his cool despite some expert needling for a good long while, and once he finally freaks out (because a lot of his friends are dying out in cold, cold space), he pulls it back together quickly. This despite the fact that dad is telling him he has no problem killing his progeny if they don’t pass their dark side exams. He tries to hide, to remove himself as a target, because someone has just shot his sister and he can feel it. (This is an actual plot point of the ROTJ novel; Luke is trying to hide from Vader in those final moments because he can feel Leia’s injury through the Force and is trying to protect her and himself from Vader’s invasive mental-probing. That is ostensibly why Vader finds out about Leia at all.) But Papa Darth susses out the truth about his other kid—

Luke Skywalker, Return of the Jedi
Screenshot: Lucasfilm

—and Luke loses said cool, seemingly for good.

It’s a perfect parallel, in a way; Luke almost turns to the dark side as a bite back for having his mind plundered, but also to protect his sister, much in the same manner that Anakin was trying to protect Padmé. What no one was counting on is simply this: Luke Skywalker is nothing like his father. Not one iota (whatever those are). Luke is loving for unselfish reasons, he is constant and stable, he is not there for glory or even to save the universe. He’s there to prove to himself that he won’t turn.

He’s there because he wants his father back.

But Luke doesn’t simply stop thrashing Vader and roll over. He rubs it in the Emperor’s face. He could have just said no; he could have disengaged and backed into a corner. Instead he stands up, realigns his spine, and tells the Emperor “You’ve failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.”

Luke Skywalker, Return of the Jedi
Screenshot: Lucasfilm

Who in their galaxy has ever had the gall to utter words like “failure” to that hooded robe since Palpatine took power? Any variation on them? Man, you can see that burn from another star system. For that, he is unsurprisingly rewarded with unimaginable pain and near vanquishment. And then the unthinkable happens—ol’ dad comes back to the party. Better late than never, I guess.

And while Han and Leia are enjoying a kiss and rebellious triumph, Luke gets to say goodbye to his father. They’ve only just met.

Luke Skywalker, Return of the Jedi
Screenshot: Lucasfilm

Luke Skywalker has to rearrange everything he knows and wants for his life in, what, a week? But he gives his father a hero’s funeral and walks to the Endor celebration with a smile and collected calm. He gives out handshakes and hugs to every friendly face he sees. He waves to some ghosts who are literally glowing with pride.

And I am still supposed to nod and smile dumbly when everyone goes on about how Han is just the best character in all of Star Wars? Because, I’ll be honest here—I never wanted to grow up to be Han Solo. I never wanted his debts, his disbelief, his wiseguy exterior born out of years of distrust.

Luke Skywalker, Return of the Jedi
Screenshot: Lucasfilm

But the one who walked onto the second Death Star with no idea what he was doing and achieved what everyone told him was impossible? On my best days, I’d like to imagine you could hear a little bit of Luke Skywalker’s resolve lingering in the back my voice. Even if I can’t do a flip in midair whilst catching a lightsaber.

I’m still working on that part.

 

A version of this article originally ran on February 11, 2014.

Emmet Asher-Perrin will never apologize for loving Luke best. You can bug them on Twitter and read more of their work here and elsewhere.

About the Author

Emmet Asher-Perrin

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Emmet Asher-Perrin is the News & Entertainment Editor of Reactor. Their words can also be perused in tomes like Queers Dig Time Lords, Lost Transmissions: The Secret History of Science Fiction and Fantasy, and Uneven Futures: Strategies for Community Survival from Speculative Fiction. They cannot ride a bike or bend their wrists. You can find them on Bluesky and other social media platforms where they are mostly quiet because they'd rather talk to you face-to-face.
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J Angel
2 years ago

I grew up watching this movie and never once did all of this occur to me. Great article. 

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2 years ago

And at the end, after he has gone through the darkest of dark places, defied evil and won, the collar of his black outfit opens, and you can see it is lined with pure white.

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Paul
2 years ago

I remember getting to college (mid 1990s I’m ancient) and discussing Star Wars with my roommates and being shocked when they said they didn’t like Luke. Absolutely blew my mind. 

I’m with you. I guess I liked Han but I always wanted TO BE Luke.

 

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2 years ago

Not to disagree with the overall point, but I think it’s really important that Luke is flirting with the Dark Side in the Jabba the Hutt sequence.  It gives some real heft to his latter decision NOT to give in to it.  He may think he’s incorruptible when he goes with Vader, but if we’ve been paying attention, we know he’s wrong about that.  So when he makes his choice, we know it’s a real choice, not just Luke always being perfect.  

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Bluejay
2 years ago

Han also just looks worse and worse every time I return to these films. Harrison Ford’s considerable charisma still sells the character, sure, but look: Han consistently mistreats C3PO in a way that’s played for laughs, but it’s behavior that we would frown upon today if someone constantly talked over, ignored, or mocked a subordinate. Even creepier is the way he courts Leia. His argument with her in the hallway of the rebel base on Hoth (which basically boils down to “I know how you really feel about me, you could use a good kiss”), and his insistent approach to her in the Falcon (in a nutshell, “you actually really like me, your mouth says no but your body says yes,” all while backing her into a corner), are toxic and creepy and extremely problematic if done by any man in real life. In hindsight, maybe Han isn’t the best role model for young people trying to figure out how to treat others in the world and what a healthy romantic relationship looks like.

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2 years ago

Bad boys get all the attention with their posturing while the good guy is getting stuff done.  So many people say good guys are boring, but I beg to differ.  Written correctly, good guys are far more interesting.  

Over the years, Mark Hamill has been there for the fans and the STAR WARS universe while Harrison Ford hasn’t.  I think that adds a bit more luster to Luke so people are rethinking his character.  When Luke showed up in THE MANDALORIAN, the Internet exploded in the same way as it did for Baby Yoda, and he’s not nearly as cute.

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Leo
2 years ago

Han is a fun character. Luke is a hero, in every sense. He was always my favourite for that reason. His good-humoured stoicism, his stubborn positivity. And that great ballsy moment when he triumphs, not by killing the Emperor, but by simply throwing down his weapon and refusing to be beaten. Fantastic. 

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RunningBull
2 years ago

Maybe it is because I was 8 years old when RoTJ was first released, but I too was always on Team Luke, the only thing Solo had going for him was that he came with his own unique spaceship and furry friend.  The whole Hero’s Journey that we are SUPPOSED to be embarking on is the Skywalker story, later extended to incorporate Anakin in a very extended redemption arc  Though even with those additional movies from 20 years ago trying to remake the narrative into one about Anakin as the Chosen One and steal the story away from Luke it still just shows how badass Luke was to achieve all that he did with barely any formal training or support.

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Troyce
2 years ago

I used to get in arguments with my wife because I always considered Han the comic relief in the series.  I was ALWAYS in it for Luke.  For me, the entire story of the Star Wars Saga is Luke’s story.  Which is why I’ve never had much interest in the sideline stories about other characters than Luke.  After the first two episodes of Mandalorian I only watched one more, where Luke appears.

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Alex
2 years ago

Loved this.  Luke Skywalker has been the single greatest fictional character role model of my life.  He is why my RotJ VHS tape wore out, not Han.

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2 years ago

Excuse me, but I did not forget this :)  (And also, all the times you get to gush about Luke Skywalker are my favorite articles on Tor and a bright spot in my day.)

“Moreover, that he does it in a manner as flash as possible?” – I mean, this is SO Anakin, you know? There’s a kind of funny meme about how in that scene in Rogue One, Vader would have had to turn off his chest plate to make that dramatic entrance, and then when he’s standing there with his cape billowing, he had to have done that through the Force. Because Anakin will do everything in the most dramatic way possible.  And so there are times I love seeing those little bits of Anakin shine through.  

He is so like his father…and yet so NOT like his father, both of which are in the ways that matter, and that’s one of my favorite things about his character.

In some ways the most badass thing about Luke is that he doesn’t necessarily puff it up.  It’s easy to overlook him. I think deep down, he probably still thinks of himself as a normal guy (at least, that’s when he’s at his best…at least according to TLJ his problems started when he thought too much of his own image).

But let’s get down to brass tacks – as much as Luke can be a total badass to me the key arc words of his character have always been that dopey “I care!’ in the cockpit of the Falcon.  Rey echoes those words later on in RoS – if that was intentional, I guess I’ll never know, but to me it makes her worthy to take on the name (even if there are definitely some plotting aspects I can’t stand in those movies).  That’s why he’s great.  He cares, but not in a possessive way.  He honors his attachments, he views even one person as worth it, but is not ruled/controlled by them (except for those few rare moments where he loses his cool).

And for all the hullabaloo about the sequels (which I am admittedly lukewarm on…and, ugh, no pun intended there…but I don’t hate them/repudiate them, but I don’t love them either)…I don’t mind so much this concept of Luke exploring disillusionment, loss of hope, realizing the Jedi weren’t infallible, all of that.  I don’t even completely mind the idea that he might have lashed out in a moment of fear (although I think it would have been perfectly within the realm of storytelling for him to have worked on that and so we didn’t *need* it. I kinda like the idea that Palpatine gave Luke visions which might have subconsciously influenced him, which kind of goes with the idea he was influencing Anakin’s fears. So that’s my headcanon.).  I think the end, he totally comes back to himself. 

But man, on a a personal ‘ I really love this character’ I hate that for him, haha.   And I do feel a bit cheated that we never get to see him, in the narrative, figure out a better way for the Jedi that incorporates the best things from both his mentor AND his father.   (Semi related – can we talk about Cal Kestis? Because there are absolutely some things they are doing with his story thematically I would have LOVED to see for Luke.  I think I might love Cal just as much as I love Luke, haha. I don’t even play video games, I just watch hours of cutscenes and I am now deeply protective of this guy, haha)

 

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2 years ago

Luke’s character really had a chance to grow obviously, from naive little farm boy who knows there’s something more for him out there, to badass Jedi Knight who happens to be the offspring of Darth. 

In contrast, Han has some personal growth, in the sense that he learns to care about people rather than things, But ultimately he’s still just the charming and slightly goofy rogue.  When the last trilogy came out I was kind of happy to see that he and Leah had split up, because I never really thought they were meant to be a forever couple anyway.

Yes, Han was a bit of a gaslighting ass by today’s standards, But I’ve grown tired of going back and vilifying movie characters from the past who act generally in accordance with what was considered acceptable In that time frame. That’s not justification, but it is an excuse. Someday people look back on our behavior and wonder why we were such d-bags as well, and I hope they bother to put our actions into context.

The real hero of the original trilogy is r2. He’s a catalyst for almost everything good that happens, He saves our heroes asses more than once, and he never makes a mistake.  He even gets a sort of hero’s death at the end of a New Hope. 

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Yeesh
2 years ago

Sure, Luke is a hero for saving his dad’s soul, but I wouldn’t trust that guy to arrange a surprise birthday party, let alone a rescue mission. It’s called the stun setting, Luke, you didn’t have to kill anybody at Jabba’s.

Bayushi
Bayushi
2 years ago

I never forgot, either.  I was 5 when A New Hope came out and I wanted to be a Jedi.  Han’s funny and hot, but his relationships are complicated and Luke has the kind of loyalty that I understand.  PLUS.  He’s a cocky and competent and occasionally complicated and thoughtful. What’s not to love?

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2 years ago

Luke is my hero, absolutely

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2 years ago

I really think people here would appreciate this Cinema Therapy video they just put out on Luke!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWxhJTszc8Q

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2 years ago

@13, lightsabers have a stun setting?

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Bluejay
2 years ago

@12 “Yes, Han was a bit of a gaslighting ass by today’s standards, But I’ve grown tired of going back and vilifying movie characters from the past who act generally in accordance with what was considered acceptable In that time frame. That’s not justification, but it is an excuse. Someday people look back on our behavior and wonder why we were such d-bags as well, and I hope they bother to put our actions into context.”

I’m guessing this is in response to my comment. I don’t think I failed to put Han’s actions into context; the context is “we used to put up with a lot more sexism and toxic masculinity in our storytelling and our society.” And I’m certain there were plenty of people at the time, particularly women, who DIDN’T find that behavior acceptable even then; it’s just that their voices weren’t given the space they’re rightly being given now.

Also, this is an article (and a comment section) discussing how we grow up admiring certain characters as role models. I think it’s absolutely fair game to go back and reconsider figures from the past (both real and fictional) according to our modern ethical standards, especially if those figures continue to loom large in the public consciousness and continue to be held up to young people as heroes. Being aware of how our heroes fell short is part of how we learn to move forward, tell better stories, and be better people.

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2 years ago

In my headcanon, Luke placed his game pieces into Jabba’s Palace in the places the Force told him they needed to be.

Iota is the 9th letter lf the Greek alphabet. Wikipedi suggests that its place in the expression is due to it being the smallest letter of the alphabet.

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2 years ago

One thing I do want to say in defense of Han (even though he’s definitely a rake in ESB) is that in RotJ he actually experiences some healthy growth, as shown by two moments:

1)In the Endor village, after Luke has dropped a bombshell on Leia and walked off to go confront the monster of the galaxy, Han comes over, has a bit of a huff over thinking she’s being more open with Luke than Leia but then…turns around, apologizes, and comforts her no questions asked.  Frankly, that is way more mature than most people I know.

2)At the end, he is quick to console her about Luke potentially being in danger, and is perfectly ready to walk away from the relationship without being a jerk about it, which also shows that his previous actions were done with the assumption that she wasn’t his long term romantic partner, just his friend.  

Also, I love the ending of RotJ (the celebration) where they are all hugging each other, even the guys.

So honestly I think Han kinda gets a bad rap as ‘toxic masculinity’.  I also think you could probably make a case in ESB about context between two people who know each other well, who know the push and pull they each enjoy and what they would put up with.  I don’t know if I would unilaterally make that case (and especially not in a dating/casual context where you DON’T know the person’s boundaries), but it’s probably a reasonable interpretation of their relationship/flirtation.

All of that said – my teen melodramatic fanfic was alllll about Luke, so that is where my loyalties lie ;)

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Yeesh
2 years ago

#18.

Well, maybe ditch that silly glowstick just once in favor of a good blaster — which by the way he tried to use to kill Jabba when his weak negotiating skills failed.

Also, how about a few good Rebel troops? Really, could they not spare some guys to rescue one of their heroes? You know, he helped them out with that pesky Death Star, helped them out on Hoth… I’m starting to think the Rebels ain’t all they’re cracked up to be. Ungrateful twerps.

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Bluejay
2 years ago

@22 Weirdly, my complaint about RotJ Han is different. I’m glad about his personal growth, but I don’t think the writing was strong enough to show us how he got there! When he was thawed out from the carbonite, he should have been exactly the same person as he was going in. But in the space of, what, a week between Tatooine and the Battle of Endor (time is fuzzy in the film), suddenly he’s learned to not be pushy, to be comforting, to give Leia space, and to respect whatever decision she makes? (Contrast this with the fact that he’s still pretty abominable towards C-3PO, which is consistent with his pre-carbonite behavior, so his improvement as a human being seems pretty selective on the part of the writers.) I like character growth, but I like it even better when we actually see the journey that justifies it. :-)

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David Pirtle
2 years ago

The fact that Luke is so awesome is what makes his turn away from the force and the Jedi in The Last Jedi so interesting. In fact, it’s about the only interesting thing the sequel trilogy ever did and fans rioted over it.

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2 years ago

@24 – not that I think this is how real life would work (given that such growth usually takes longer than a movie is going to show), but I always figured that realizing that Leia and Luke came back for him was the lynchpin that made him realize he was part of a ‘family’, per se.

The treatment of droids in the SW universe is a whole other can of worms though, haha.  

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Bluejay
2 years ago

@26 That’s fair. I suppose Han telling Luke, “Thanks for coming back for me, now I owe you one” could be considered a turning point.

“The treatment of droids in the SW universe is a whole other can of worms though, haha.”

True enough! Although, of the central characters, only Han is openly hostile to/dismissive of a droid. Luke and Leia seem to treat droids just fine, and seem to have particular affection for R2.

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2 years ago

“I used to live here, you know” used to spook me, back when I first left Ohio.

Taberius Rex
2 years ago

I’m reminded of something my best friend from high school told me.

We once bonded over our mutual love and admiration for Luke Skywalker as the best character in the original trilogy. Years later, she met Ashley Eckstein at one of the Star Wars Celebrations. Ashley was there to talk about the Her Universe collection, and my friend noticed that one of the pieces was inspired by Luke Skywalker.

“I’m a huge Luke Skywalker fangirl,” Ashley said. “There are more of us than we think.”

Reading this piece brought back that memory, and a whole lot of other positive ones I had growing up. Luke Skywalker really is the best. Yeah, he’s having a tough time as a teenager in A New Hope, but that’s true for every teenager in every galaxy. But not only does he become a war hero in short order, he’s a commander in the Alliance and a Jedi Knight by the end of the trilogy. The dude’s got skills.

Hell, my wife and I named our son in honor of Luke Skywalker. 

GOAT just doesn’t seem to cover it.

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Backcountry164
2 years ago

People are forgetting because Disney Star Wars is trying to erase that fact and replace him with a new version for “modern audiences”…

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2 years ago

@19 Bluejay- I’m probably more in line with you than you think.  For me, I prefer that my cinematic heroes are kind and have empathy, but I don’t expect them to universally conform to behavior standards that didn’t exist when they are being portrayed.

I do understand your point that some of Han’s shenanigans would have been objectionable even at the time the original trilogy was released, And I definitely agree that women, and men, are increasingly, thankfully, being given a more effective voice to call out such behavior, partially inconsideration of what we have seen in the past. 

In general though, over the course of the series, although Han employed some of the more icky methods of approaching and interacting with Leah, ultimately I find him to be a sympathetic character and he becomes a devoted and considerate companion.  So I like him, and while I agree that he’s not the ideal role model for relationships, Leah could do worse, and I’m not sure that was the main purpose of his character anyway.

Your commemt just made me think of other fictional or historical characters that have been dragged through the mud by modern sensibilities to the point where I feel like I need to be shamed into joining in criticizing them. In some cases, I get it and I will. In others, I think there’s a lack of context.  I would hate to be judged on the worst thing I have ever done.  And as I suggested in my previous post, future generations are going to look back at us and marvel at our barbaric ways, and some of those people are going to suggest we were more than just primitive, but that we should be judged morally for it. I don’t know, maybe they’ll be right. 

 

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2 years ago

@29 – hahaha!  We have a ‘young Luke’ too.  And one thing I did appreciate about my husband is that he likes Luke more than Han!

I’m in a women’s Star Wars FB group and there’s definitely a little sub-cadre of Luke ‘fangirls;’ and we always get excited when we find each other.

ryttu3k
2 years ago

Luke has been my favourite character – from any media, not just from Star Wars – since I first saw Star Wars at age 12. Yeah, he’s a badass in the Jabba sequence – and, as colomon said in #4, he’s also flirting with the Dark Side. He is, as Yoda points out, reckless. He’s very much his father’s son, with that natural Skywalker leaning towards Drama(tm) (although I’d argue that Leia managed to get it even worse!).

And then he makes the choice to reject the Dark Side. To choose forgiveness and love instead of anger. To meet the Emperor face on and say, “No.” That’s the most pivotal moment of Luke being a badass – looking at what he could be, and rejecting it, choosing his own principles over what would be so easy, so natural, to fall into.

(That’s also the main reason why I agree with Mark Hamill’s initial statement that Luke in the sequel trilogy is, direct quote, “Not my Luke Skywalker.” The man who looked Palpatine in the eye and said, no, he believes in love and forgiveness and trust, that there’s good in Darth Vader, trying to strike down his sleeping nephew because of a maybe? Nope. Not Luke.)

Luke, the Luke from the trilogy, is the goddamn best. Accept no substitutes!

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chris
2 years ago

The man who looked Palpatine in the eye and said, no, he believes in love and forgiveness and trust, that there’s good in Darth Vader, trying to strike down his sleeping nephew because of a maybe? Nope. Not Luke.

I think it’s the reverse of the comment upthread about Han’s character growth: it doesn’t feel right unless you show us how he got there as a person.

If you’re going to do the decline and fall of Luke Skywalker it deserves *at least* a whole movie of its own.  Otherwise don’t do it.  Anyone can die offscreen if they have to, even Luke, but to *change* that radically offscreen is just not going to feel right to the audience.

In comparison to RotJ, it’s interesting to me how in the sequel trilogy somebody *does* just murder the evil overlord, and how differently that turns out.  Kind of goes to show that Palpatine’s “strike me down with all of your hatred and your journey to the Dark Side will be complete” wasn’t just bluster.  Luke had excellent reasons to be very selective about following in his father’s footsteps.

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2 years ago

@35 – you know, I think this is kind of what made something click for me.

I can think of all sorts of satisfying stories that roughly follow the story beats of the sequels in terms of Luke struggling with his image, failures, weaknesses, etc and ultimately re-discovering a more mature type of hope (as described in the video I linked, which does actually do a nice breakdown of the sequels in light of his entire arc).  But they at least SHOW them, and view his story and struggle as worth telling, along side the newer ones who would be rising to eventually take his place. (I really like Rey; my beef with the sequels is not with her.)

For me, personally, the way the sequels did it just kind of felt like they were writing off the character/shoving it to the side.  I’m looking forward to the upcoming movie about Rey/the new order, but I still really would have been interested to see what Luke would have done with it if his character was able to grow past what it did (before being killed off).  It was just quite unsatisfying for me as somebody who really enjoys Luke’s story/character, specifically, and wanted to see more of where he could go.  And I get it, not all things satisfy exactly what you want in fandoms, so I try not to hold too tightly to those expectations, but I still feel what I feel ;)

One thing I did kinda appreciate that the video points out is that, in a way, what we see in TLJ (Luke’s flashback) actually is growth, given that in Return of the Jedi he went completely berserk when Leia was threatened. So, perhaps briefly turning his lightsaber on and then realizing it was wrong IS being restrained, for a Skywalker ;) (But…as I said, I certainly don’t think it was the only way that could have reasonably been developed.)  As somebody who has mental health dips/backslides into non-productive coping strategies at times, perhaps he was just in a dark spot (as potentially represented by the Dark Side/Palpatine inflaming those fears).  So, I can get stuff out of the story, even if I don’t love it.

 

 

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gwangung
2 years ago

@35, @36 Ah. Yes. Luke’s story  of his disllusionment is inherently interesting, And it SHOULD have been shown and not alluded to. And that’s a point I cannot argue with, despite what I did like about TLJ.

Arben
2 years ago

I was 6⅔ when Star Wars came out in May ’77, saw it many times on the big screen, and I’ve been a Luke Skywalker guy from jump for all the reasons mentioned here even if I couldn’t fully articulate them.